Beer: Reviews & Ratings

not sure how old this is, or if its supposed to be sour or not, there was much debate in our group as to whether or not this had gone off. supposed to be a dark blend with maple syrup in oak, which sounds stunning. nowhere does it say lacto fermented or inoculated or anything else about it being a wild ale. other reviewers cite infection, but I kind of think it flatters the base beer, once I accept the fact that all maple sugar, and therefore maple flavor, has likely been eaten by whatever bacterial issue is going on here. I think the acidic tang is nice with the dark grain, which still show their roast, and with the oak, which has sweet vanilla and char going on. the wild yeast aspect crowds out other nuance though, and maple syrup (my second favorite liquid in the world) is entirely absent from this thing. I still like it though, im a sucker for weird, and this is that, for certain. great carbonation and a long pucker finish with a full body. cool winter wild ale, but doubtful this is what the brewers intended. (1,028 characters)

22oz bottle into snifter. Bottled in 2011, batch 335/336. Thanks to HosP for sending me this one years ago.

A: Pours near black with a finger of dense light brown head that slowly faded into a thick collar. S: Scents of maple and honey are sweet but not cloying and easily stand out above scents of rich caramel, chocolate syrup, sherry, and musty oak. T: The sherry flavor from the nose dominates the taste, and is in fact a tart sour cherry infection. Tart cherries hit up front followed by musty earth, sweet molasses and caramel, and a kiss of chocolate. The finish is lightly sour, and a sweet honey/molasses/caramel sweetness lingers. M: The carbonation screams infection as well. It’s prickly and tingly and really froths up on my palate. Medium body, slick and frothy mouthfeel. O: Had I drank this fresh the infection might have been unnoticeable, but alas I forgot about it in my cellar for too long. The drain got 95% of this bottle. (951 characters)

A: Pours a deep brown color. A thin creamy khaki colored head forms slowly, but dissipates quickly, aside from a thin edge around the glass.

S: Big notes of vanilla and maple up front. Starts very inviting, but has a strange, almost tart, apple-like hint at the back end.

T: Wow. Tartness explodes on the pallet immediately. Tastes like the most tart green apple you can find. Picks up a nice barrel characteristic when it warms, and you get past the sharpness. Caramel and vanilla notes calm the tartness. Slight roast, but a metallic tang in the aftertaste.

M: Creamy and full bodied, with very light carbonation. Feels overly acidic and harsh on the pallet. No alcohol present, but that's the least of the worries here.

O: I gotta imagine there's an infection issue here. What's inviting in the nose is completely overshadowed by the acidic tart tang in the taste and feel. i haven't been a huge fan of the other Jackie O's beers I've tried, and this one continues the disappointing trend for me. (1,024 characters)

Description on the bottle is a blend of two beers, an amber ale aged in brandy barrels and an oatmeal stout in bourbon barrels. Sounds like something out of the Firestone Walker book...some hops, mellowed by aging, combined with a nice BBA stout! Awesome.

Not so much with this one.

Appearance is like a stout, not bad.

Smell is where it gets no so great. Smells sour. ZERO barrel. Some slight roastiness, but some definite funk.

Taste is slightly better than the smell. It's like a mediocre farmhouse style stout. I'd never guess this was two barrel aged beers, but it's not altogether unpleasent.

Moutfeel is light and overly carbonated for the style.

This is not something I'd ever spend money on. By description on the bottle, I expect a rich, succulent beer. This didn't deliver, although it's certainly drinkable.

In fairness, this bottle may be infected. But, considering it's not awful, I'm not sure...who knows.

Pours dark brown in color with small tan head. Booze is definitely a prominent aroma. A strong note of stale hops followed by cocoa, oak, and a mild fruitiness (mostly prunes). The flavor is a touch metallic followed by some mild bourbon, roast, and cocoa. A touch acidic, for some reason, with a little bit of dark fruit. Not a fan of this one at all. (352 characters)

Bottle of this stuff provided by Irishgurl4. Thanks a lot for the great package of beers!

From a bomber into a snifterReleased in 2011Bottle no.1 of 336Ale with honey and maple syrup then aged 50/50 in bourbon and brandy oak barrels.

APPEARANCE: Pours a dark, transparent brown and makes a one finger, medium looking, light tan head with good retention. Black body with very high levels of carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full wisp with lots of carbonation decorating the top. A half wisp remains and leaves some nice lacing down the glass. The carbonation calms down later on as well. This is a pretty beer.

SMELL: Pretty bold nose for sure. Roasted and dark malts, leather and tobacco, and a light maple syrup quality as well. Oak barrels are there with clear aromas of vanilla and sweet cream. A touch of brandy perhaps, but not muc bourbon in the aroma. Pretty nice really.

TASTE: Dark malts, leather and tobacco, and oak barrel up front. Vanilla and sweet cream from the barrel aging. Some pale malt sweetness through the middle into an oak barrel finish. Coffee, maple syrup sweetness and oats are there, melding with the oak, vanilla and brandy from the barrels. Bold and lingering finish with barrel notes, maple syrup and bitter coffee that balances the sweetness quite well. More brandy comes through than bourbon. This is pretty tasty stuff, but the feel really sells it short.

PALATE: Pretty lousy really. No doubt. Medium body, but low levels of carbonation and a lack of creaminess makes it quite watery. Goes down flat and finishes rather sticky. A little lifeless; too little carbonation and not nearly creamy enough to get away with it. Definitely the worst pat of the beer.

OVERALL: This is a great beer in theory, but in practice, the mouthfeel just took the legs out from under it. Not only did the feel just make this lack-luster, the flavors weren't able to really make their mark. Too bad, as this beer had a lot of potential. It seems like a lot of Jackie O's bottles suffer from a lousy feel. I hope they can remedy this situation, as this brewery just oozes creativity and potential. Thanks again Irishgurl4. Enjoyed this one. (2,179 characters)

A: Pours a dark reddish-brown with a large light brown head adorning it. Fades slowly, leaving a dense lacework behind.

S: Sweet brandy with some cocoa and oatmeal. Loads of vanilla. Maple syrup? Very unique and varied aroma. Hints of toffee from the bourbon comes out as it warms.

T: Nice brandy up front with sweet caramel malt. Turns into an overpowering funky wine-like flavor with lots of tobacco. As it fades I get some cocoa, milk chocolate and oatmeal.

M: Medium bodied, smooth.

O: Interesting, it tastes good up front and in the finish but the middle appears to be some sort of infected mess. Too bad, judging from what I CAN taste, this was a good brew. Another bad bottle from Jackie-O's. Unfortunate quality control. (759 characters)

A: A pretty beer, pours pitch black with a finger of light brown head with good retention.

S: Not good. Tart funk with buttery notes, some sweet toffee and brandy and light roast. This smells like a Brett and diacetyl infection.

T: Worse than the aroma. Very unpleasant tart apples overwhelm the flavor, though I can discern a nice dark chocolate and toffee beer in the background. I also get some buttery notes in the background.

M: A bit thin but good creamy carbonation.

O: Disappointing. I love Brad's beers, but this one was not good at all. I can't imagine it's just this bottle, either. Drainpour. (636 characters)

A- The body of the beer is black. The head of the beer is a mahagony coloration. The head quickly resolved itself into a ring of foam.

S- This beer has multiple layers of aroma. The bourbon and brandy pop out along with vanilla from the wood. Darkly roasted cocoa malt and maple syrup very vinous fruit qualities.

T- Darkly roasted malt going from the cocoa to the level of coffee. Maple syrup and dark sweet dark fruit. A brief mineral twang jumps out but quickly is swallowed up in the beer. A bit of alcohol heat climbs out but not in a problematic way. Nicely executed barrel flavors from both bourbon and brandy combine and transform into something uniquely special.

M- Medium bodied lightly carbonated. A little heat is present but not problematic in a barrel aged beer.

O- This is pure beer drinking pleasure. Very skillfully blended and well done. I am looking forward to a few more months on this beer. (970 characters)

Tobacco and a lightly boozy aroma, appropriate for a barrel aged strong ale. Seems a little subdued though, and lacking some essential complexity.

A biting, alcoholic bourbon finish cuts into the malty base flavors a bit. Some tobacco and roast malt that is overshadowed by the bourbon elements. In the end it seems a bit heavy handed, more whiskey shows through than necessary, raw and unrefined. Light to medium feel, medium level of carbonation. Could use some blending to mellow it out. Thankfully not a diacetyl bomb like the last Cellar Cuvee I tried. (722 characters)

Black throughout, at least in Churchill's dim lighting, with a finger's worth of dark brown head that doesn't leave too much stick to the glass.

The aroma is rich and inviting from the onset and it only gets better with warming. The initial blast is of freshly ground and roasted fine coffee grounds, with maple syrup, honey, and oak combing in the background to complement the rich roast characteristics. The aromas combine better and better as it warms.

The flavor wasn't quite as successful as the aroma, especially at the cooler temperatures. While there was still plenty of big, roasted coffee, maple, and oak flavors, there was a distinct, unfortunate alloy/metallic flavor, especially on the finish. As the beer warmed, the metallic flavor nearly disappeared, but not completely. Complete and tasty, though with a few unfortunate misgivings holding it back from greatness.

Medium to full bodied with low to moderate carbonation, though a bit metallic when cool.

A very nice, creative, and interesting blend. This one was significantly better at room temperature and quite disappointing when cool. (1,164 characters)

Cellar Cuvee 5 pours a very dark chocolate fudge color. It’s onyx. No light cuts through, even at the edges. A light tan head covers the top. It rises just above the surface and falls back quickly. Lacing was definitely light and spotty.

The nose is good. It starts out with a nice mix of chocolate and caramel. It smells a little sweet, but the chocolate smells like the darker variety. Bourbon is definitely noted. Its presence is moderately strong. It doesn’t overpower. I’m not getting much brandy. Secondary scents include honey, oak, vanilla, and a hint of maple syrup. Alcohol is definitely noted and smells a little strong. We’ll see how that plays out. Smells good though. Rather complex and interesting.

The flavor is very good. It starts out with a mix of bittersweet, dark chocolate and sweet caramel. It’s a rather sturdy malt base. Sweeter than expected though. A subtle hint of maple syrup only adds to the sweet factor. Barrel aging certainly added a host of flavors. Brandy seems to be more apparent than bourbon in flavor. Interesting. There are also rather strong oak and vanilla flavors. They all work together quite well to produce a satisfying flavor. Honey is noted throughout and adds quality depth. Alcohol is prominent, but doesn’t seem warm or hot. Finishes chocolaty with a twist of oak and brandy. Very impressive.

Cellar Cuvee 5 has a medium body that feels just a tad thin. Carbonation seems light and soft. The feel isn’t bad, but it seems to need a little more body. For what it’s worth it goes down rather easy.

Cellar Cuvee 5 is an interesting mix of a brandy barrel aged imperial amber ale and a bourbon barrel aged oatmeal stout. The end product is very good. I really like the creative, trailblazing approach that was taken with this one. If it has any faults, the body is tad too light. That’s about it though. Very good stuff. Thanks a ton, Chris! (1,950 characters)

Thanks to Jason for sharing this one. Bottle #308 of 336. Served in a Surly Darkness glass.

A - Quick-dissolving tan foam settles to a thin ring and a few tiny spots of lace. Very dark brown body that is a tad lighter at the edges of the glass.

S - Wood, booze, honey, chocolate, vanilla, roasted nuts, and perhaps a hint of brandy. It's pretty boozy, but never reaches offensive levels. The flavors are quite nice, but the barrel presence is a touch heavy-handed.

T - Taste is a pleasant mix of chocolate, roasted grains, maple syrup, and caramel - once you get past the intense oak and bourbon, that is. Gets significantly better and more balanced as it approaches room temperature.

D - I was initially wary when I heard this contained the mediocre Brandy Superfly in it, but this is actually a pretty enjoyable high-gravity blend. Probably my favorite Cellar Cuvee so far, although I haven't tried # 1, 2 or 6. Might be wonderful in six-to-twelve months if the booze dies down a little. (1,084 characters)

Live review of a 2011 22 oz bottle number 112/336.A: Very dark brown, nice creamy head quickly faded to a good collar with some lacing.S: Nice vanilla bourbon up front, with some merlot fruitiness, and a molasses or licorice character on top of dark chocolate with some dark fruits.T: Creamy molasses and brown sugar with a kiss of woody maple, overall drying with dark fruit and a crisp yet mellow alcohol, which lingers on the breath with the fruit.M: Creamy and frothy which slowly transforms into a crisp almost tartness.O: Overall, rather enjoyable to drink. Complex. (577 characters)

A pours a dark brown, opaque with a finger and a half light brown head. Again, difficult to detect clarity in low light environment.

S mostly caramel sweetness with notes of some wood, vanilla and barrel. Alcohol detected in nose.

T another full flavored blend. Dark chocolate in the background that is easily swallowed by massive amounts of caramel, barrel flavors, booze and alcohol. Not as sweet and a bit more dry and butter than #4.

M imho, the mouthfeel is spot on. Enough to hold all the flavor, but not cloyingly sweet like #4.

D still pretty low due to abv and all the flavors.

Overall, a nice blend. This would be kick ass in the fall, hanging out with friends around a bon fire. (786 characters)

I don't know how excited I should be to try this. This is made of a 50/50 mix of Brandy Barrel Superfly and Bourbon Barrel Middle of Nowhere Stout. I had the BBMoNS yesterday and though it was good enough, so that I'm not worried about. Rather, the BBS has been polarizing. On-tap when it was released, I thought it was wonderful. From a bottle a month ago, I thought it sucked. Thus I'm not sure how mixing these beers will result. I guess there's only one way to find out.

Poured into a snifter. Bottle #20 of 336.

3.5 A: This looks more like the stout for obvious reasons. Dark brown, nearly black color. Two fingers of creamy tan head. Retention is about average and a short ring of lacing is left.

3.5 S: Interesting. The stout seems to be driving the nose, with the amber adding subtle complexity. All of the components of the BBMoNS are apparent - the maple syrup, the honey, the roastiness, and even the oats. The bourbon is a bit diluted from the original, which is to be expected, but still adds leather, earthy woodiness, vanilla, and some melon fruitiness. The amber itself is tough to find, though it seems to have contributed the the caramel that is also found in the stout. Rather, the biggest player from the BBS is the brandy. It gives a well integrated vinous character along with grape fruitiness. Booze is apparent, but not distracting

3.0 T: I'm not really sure what to think of the taste. One sip I get bourbon and stout, the next I get brandy and stout, and after that I get bourbon and brandy. I just can't get on board with this. It seems strange and muddled, but isn't really bad overall. What I pick up most is roastiness, maple syrup, leathery bourbon, brandy, vanilla, and some astringency from the barrels.

3.5 D: I honestly don't know what to think of this. I either love it or hate it, but I decided to split the difference in my scores. Either way, it was an interesting experiment that I'm glad I got to try. I'm not a huge fan about the Cellar Cuvee series as a whole actually...until Brad decides to mix a Rum Barrel Oil with a Bourbon Barrel Kopi Dark App.

I do like how this has come together, but I'm still not crazy about it. (2,258 characters)

Pours a dark dark brown. Some nice tan head. Smells bourbon and buttery. Oak, vanilla, chocolatey. The nose is great. A bit harsh on the tongue, boozy, but solid. Tastes great. Good mouthel. One of my favourite blends brad has done. Overall it needs a bit of age but i enjoy it (277 characters)